Scouting might have an old-fashioned image but, as the movement celebrates its centenary year, Iain Hollingshead finds that it's still thriving

It's probably not easy being young when most of the country thinks you're a feral, hooded delinquent accumulating Asbos with the same eagerness as more innocent generations collected stamps.

But 2007 might be the year in which youth fights back. Earlier this month, the Scout Association launched its centenary year with a survey defending teenagers as more confident, respectful and caring than commonly portrayed. One in five of the young respondents picked their mothers as the adult they most admired.

Scout leaders might face a tougher challenge turning round the movement's own image. The old stereotypes are ingrained in the public consciousness: songs around the campfire, men in shorts, cries of "dyb, dyb, dyb". To find out whether a movement founded during the Boer War can still be relevant, I joined a Cub meeting (eight to 10½-year-olds) in Southgate, north London, and a group of teenage Explorer Scouts in Skreens Park, Essex.

Apparently 100,000 people in Britain take part in some form of scouting activity every day, and global membership stands at more than 28 million. Of the first 29 astronauts, 26 were all former Scouts.

Robert Baden-Powell, the father of scouting, was recently voted the 13th most influential person of the 20th century. Scout historian Colin Walker calls him "the David Beckham of today's society – all the men wanted to be him, all the women wanted to be with him".

Baden-Powell's book Scouting for Boys, first published in 1908, is fourth behind the Bible, the Koran and Mao Tse-tung's Little Red Book in the all-time bestseller list. Like its rivals for the top spot, it does not mince its words. Bees form a "model community, for they respect the Queen, and kill their unemployed".

"The book's core values, such as trustworthiness and self-reliance, are still relevant today," said Andrew Thorp, leader of the 6th Southgate Scout Group. "But it is very much a product of its time."

This tension between the past and the present is a constant issue for scouting. But after an entertaining weekend with lively, diverse youngsters, my impression is that the movement is doing an excellent job of combining the best of their traditions with the exigencies of today.

"Can someone tell Iain the importance of the Union Jack?" asked Scout leader Hazel Miall, as the Cubs saluted the flag at the end of our session in Southgate. "It's because of respect for Queen and country," piped up nine-year-old Alexander Gillingham.

Earlier, a visiting submariner had taught us how to tie knots. There was also plenty of invigorating physical activity. One game involved using rolled-up copies of the Telegraph as hockey sticks. In Essex the next day, I spent a buttock-clenching morning abseiling.

But would readers of more advanced years recognise today's comrades-in-woggles? For a start, scouting has been mixed sex since 1990 (although boys cannot join the Girl Guides). Also, the older children now wear their uniforms only around five times a year. "I like the scarf," said Anna Pool, 15, of Colchester. "It makes you feel part of something."

Then there are the badges, some of which have changed beyond all recognition. One nine-year-old boy in Southgate boasted 13, including a "creative" badge for a computer drawing of a chair. The National Grid sponsors the Cub Scout home safety badge. "Communication" is more about text messages and emails than Morse code and semaphore.